Arrowhead Stadium | Chiefs.com Get your official Kansas City Chiefs gear online today Arrowhead Events News Iconic NFL Stadiums Video Iconic NFL Stadiums Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Soldier Field in Chicago and Superdome in New Orleans are just a few iconic NFL stadiums in the US. Tags MetLife Stadium MetLife Stadium MetLife Stadium is a popular venue in New Jersey and New York. That’s because both the New York Giants and the New York Jets play their home games here, in East Rutherford, NJ. The Stadium seats 82,500 fans and it will host Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014. 960 1280 MetLife Stadium is a popular venue in New Jersey and New York. That’s because both the New York Giants and the New York Jets play their home games here, in East Rutherford, NJ. The Stadium seats 82,500 fans and it will host Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014. Getty Images Superdome Superdome Curtis and Davis Associated, a modern architecture firm, created the multi-purpose Superdome stadium.

It opened in 1975 and is home to the New Orleans Saints. The stadium seats 76,468 energetic fans for football games. Locals also come here to check out the Hornets' basketball games and the Zephyrs' baseball games. 960 1280 Curtis and Davis Associated, a modern architecture firm, created the multi-purpose Superdome stadium. It opened in 1975 and is home to the New Orleans Saints. The stadium seats 76,468 energetic fans for football games. Locals also come here to check out the Hornets' basketball games and the Zephyrs' baseball games. Getty Images Cowboys Stadium Cowboys Stadium Welcome to Cowboys Stadium! The Stadium, located in Arlington, TX, has a retractable roof and is home to the well-renown Dallas Cowboys. With its 80,000-seating capacity, Cowboys Stadium is ranked the 3rd largest stadium in the NFL. 960 1280 Welcome to Cowboys Stadium! The Stadium, located in Arlington, TX, has a retractable roof and is home to the well-renown Dallas Cowboys.

With its 80,000-seating capacity, Cowboys Stadium is ranked the 3rd largest stadium in the NFL. Getty Images Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Head to the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA -- just 33 miles from downtown Boston -- to see the New England Patriots play their home games. The 1.9 million-square foot stadium has 68,756 seats, including 6,000 club seats and 2,000 suite seats. According to the Stadium’s website, every seat in Gillette Stadium is focused toward midfield to provide optimum sight lines for Patriot fans. 960 1280 Head to the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA -- just 33 miles from downtown Boston -- to see the New England Patriots play their home games. The 1.9 million-square foot stadium has 68,756 seats, including 6,000 club seats and 2,000 suite seats. According to the Stadium’s website, every seat in Gillette Stadium is focused toward midfield to provide optimum sight lines for Patriot fans.

Getty Images Cleveland Browns Stadium Cleveland Browns Stadium Located in downtown Cleveland on over 30 acres of land, Cleveland Browns Stadium, also known as "The Dawg Pound," is the only stadium in the NFL that has yet to host a playoff game. With new owner Jimmy Haslam at the helm, talented stars like Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson on the field and over 73,000 fans in the stands, the Browns look to reverse that trend in the near future. 960 1280 Located in downtown Cleveland on over 30 acres of land, Cleveland Browns Stadium, also known as "The Dawg Pound," is the only stadium in the NFL that has yet to host a playoff game. With new owner Jimmy Haslam at the helm, talented stars like Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson on the field and over 73,000 fans in the stands, the Browns look to reverse that trend in the near future. Heinz Field Heinz Field Since 2001, the Pittsburgh Steelers have called Heinz Field their home. Before Heinz Stadium, the team played its home games at Three River Stadium, which was demolished.

The new stadium seats 65,050 people and it is located in Pittsburgh’s North Shore neighborhood. 960 1280 Since 2001, the Pittsburgh Steelers have called Heinz Field their home. Before Heinz Stadium, the team played its home games at Three River Stadium, which was demolished. The new stadium seats 65,050 people and it is located in Pittsburgh’s North Shore neighborhood. Joey Gannon, Flickr CenturyLink Field CenturyLink Field The Seattle Seahawks play their home games at CenturyLink Field, just south of downtown Seattle. The $360-million facility includes a roof that protects about 70% of the 72,000 seats available in stadium. Owners claim that the stadium has the largest executive suites in professional sports. You make the call! 960 1280 The Seattle Seahawks play their home games at CenturyLink Field, just south of downtown Seattle. The $360-million facility includes a roof that protects about 70% of the 72,000 seats available in stadium. Owners claim that the stadium has the largest executive suites in professional sports. You make the call!

Getty Images O.co Coliseum O.co Coliseum O.co Coliseum aka Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, CA. In 1995, a $120 million renovation project created 22,000 new seats, 90 luxury suites, 2 private clubs and 2 state-of-the art scoreboards. The Coliseum is the full-time home to the Oakland Raiders and Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics. Seating capacity is 63,132 for a football game and 35,067 for baseball game. 960 1280 O.co Coliseum aka Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, CA. In 1995, a $120 million renovation project created 22,000 new seats, 90 luxury suites, 2 private clubs and 2 state-of-the art scoreboards. The Coliseum is the full-time home to the Oakland Raiders and Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics. Seating capacity is 63,132 for a football game and 35,067 for baseball game.

Getty Images Lambeau Field Lambeau Field Lambeau Field -- once called New City Stadium -- was renamed in 1965 in memory of the Green Bay Packers’ founder Curly Lambeau, who was also a former coach and player. The Stadium, located in Green Bay, WI, seats more than 73,000 cheeseheads. 960 1280 Lambeau Field -- once called New City Stadium -- was renamed in 1965 in memory of the Green Bay Packers’ founder Curly Lambeau, who was also a former coach and player. The Stadium, located in Green Bay, WI, seats more than 73,000 cheeseheads. Getty Images Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium, home to the Kansas City Chiefs, seats 79,101 fans. When comparing stadium seating capacity, it’s the 4th largest NFL stadium behind Cowboys Stadium, MetLife Stadium and FedEx Field. The Stadium, located in Kansas City, MO, also provides fans with a climate-controlled tailgate party with all-you-can-eat catering, ice-cold drinks and pre-game television coverage -- of course, all for a price.

960 1280 Arrowhead Stadium, home to the Kansas City Chiefs, seats 79,101 fans. When comparing stadium seating capacity, it’s the 4th largest NFL stadium behind Cowboys Stadium, MetLife Stadium and FedEx Field. The Stadium, located in Kansas City, MO, also provides fans with a climate-controlled tailgate party with all-you-can-eat catering, ice-cold drinks and pre-game television coverage -- of course, all for a price. Getty Images Sports Authority Field at Mile High Sports Authority Field at Mile High In Denver, CO, visit Sports Authority Field at Mile High to see the Broncos play their home games. The Stadium’s “south stands” is known among the locals as the loudest section in the stadium. And if you’re nearby for a football game, be sure to check out the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Museum, located at Gate 1 on the west side of the stadium. 960 1280 In Denver, CO, visit Sports Authority Field at Mile High to see the Broncos play their home games. The Stadium’s “south stands” is known among the locals as the loudest section in the stadium.

And if you’re nearby for a football game, be sure to check out the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Museum, located at Gate 1 on the west side of the stadium. Getty Images Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field, home to the Chicago Bears, has a seating capacity of 61,500, making it the smallest stadium in NFL. Designed in 1919 and completed in the 1920s, the Field serves as a memorial to Americans soldiers who died in past wars. The stadium also features many memorials dedicated to previous Bears heroes, including former coach Mike Ditka. 960 1280 Soldier Field, home to the Chicago Bears, has a seating capacity of 61,500, making it the smallest stadium in NFL. Designed in 1919 and completed in the 1920s, the Field serves as a memorial to Americans soldiers who died in past wars. The stadium also features many memorials dedicated to previous Bears heroes, including former coach Mike Ditka. Getty Images Rupp Arena Rupp Arena - University of Kentucky Named after legendary head coach Adolph Rupp, Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington, KY, has definitely seen its share of victories.

The University of Kentucky Wildcats own the record for the most wins in Division I men's college basketball history, and play in the largest basketball arena in the US. With arguably the most passionate fans in college basketball and more than 23,500 seats, they don't get more wild then Rupp Arena and the fans of Big Blue Nation. 960 1280 Rupp Arena - University of Kentucky Named after legendary head coach Adolph Rupp, Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington, KY, has definitely seen its share of victories. The University of Kentucky Wildcats own the record for the most wins in Division I men's college basketball history, and play in the largest basketball arena in the US. With arguably the most passionate fans in college basketball and more than 23,500 seats, they don't get more wild then Rupp Arena and the fans of Big Blue Nation. Getty Images Carrier Dome Carrier Dome - Syracuse University The Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY, has to pull double duty as it plays host to 2 of Syracuse University's major men's sports programs. The football program plays in the 49,250-seat stadium, but the Orangemen are known for their excellence on the basketball court.

With such a massive stadium, the basketball fans are large in numbers and as loud as can be, making the Carrier Dome one of the toughest places for any opponent. 960 1280 Carrier Dome - Syracuse University The Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY, has to pull double duty as it plays host to 2 of Syracuse University's major men's sports programs. The football program plays in the 49,250-seat stadium, but the Orangemen are known for their excellence on the basketball court. With such a massive stadium, the basketball fans are large in numbers and as loud as can be, making the Carrier Dome one of the toughest places for any opponent. Flicker - John Marino Allen Fieldhouse Phog Allen Fieldhouse - University of Kansas You can find tradition nearly everywhere inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS. Need proof? The Kansas Jayhawks play their home games on James Naismith Court, the inventor of basketball. With the second most wins in men's college basketball history, Rock Chalk Nation cheers loud but chants even louder. 960 1280 Phog Allen Fieldhouse - University of Kansas You can find tradition nearly everywhere inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS. Need proof?

The Kansas Jayhawks play their home games on James Naismith Court, the inventor of basketball. With the second most wins in men's college basketball history, Rock Chalk Nation cheers loud but chants even louder. Getty Images Bud Walton Arena Bud Walton Arena - University of Arkansas The "Basketball Palace of Mid-America" resides in Fayetteville, AR, and is home to the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. One of the newer stadiums on our list, Bud Walton Arena was constructed in 1993. Its history was cemented in the arena's inaugural season as the men's team won the national championship. 960 1280 Bud Walton Arena - University of Arkansas The "Basketball Palace of Mid-America" resides in Fayetteville, AR, and is home to the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. One of the newer stadiums on our list, Bud Walton Arena was constructed in 1993. Its history was cemented in the arena's inaugural season as the men's team won the national championship. Getty Images University Arena University Arena - University of New Mexico The Pit, formerly known as University Arena, is one of the loudest arenas in all of college basketball.

You can hear the 15,000-plus fans howling, as the University of New Mexico Lobos duke it out on Bob King Court in Albuquerque, NM. 960 1280 University Arena - University of New Mexico The Pit, formerly known as University Arena, is one of the loudest arenas in all of college basketball. You can hear the 15,000-plus fans howling, as the University of New Mexico Lobos duke it out on Bob King Court in Albuquerque, NM. Wikimedia - PerryPlanet Gallagher IBA Arena Gallagher-IBA Arena - Oklahoma State University Located in Stillwater, OK, Gallagher-Iba Arena is home to Oklahoma State's Cowboys. Built in 1938, Gallagher-Iba Arena still has its original maple floors, and is known by many as "The Rowdiest Arena in the Country." 960 1280 Gallagher-IBA Arena - Oklahoma State University Located in Stillwater, OK, Gallagher-Iba Arena is home to Oklahoma State's Cowboys.

Built in 1938, Gallagher-Iba Arena still has its original maple floors, and is known by many as "The Rowdiest Arena in the Country." OSU Marketing - Phil Shockley Memorial Gym Memorial Gym - Vanderbilt University Probably the most unique stadium in all of college basketball belongs to Vanderbilt University. Memorial Gym in Nashville, TN, features the team benches on opposite ends rather than sides, along with a cinematic, triple-deck structure. Memorial Gym is said to give the Commodores home court advantage because of its unusual design, making it one of the most difficult places for opposing teams to come away with a win. 960 1280 Memorial Gym - Vanderbilt University Probably the most unique stadium in all of college basketball belongs to Vanderbilt University. Memorial Gym in Nashville, TN, features the team benches on opposite ends rather than sides, along with a cinematic, triple-deck structure. Memorial Gym is said to give the Commodores home court advantage because of its unusual design, making it one of the most difficult places for opposing teams to come away with a win.

Getty Images Maples Pavilion Maples Pavilion - Stanford University Known for the Sixth Man, the raucous student section of Cardinal fans, Maples Pavilion has become one of the most notorious venues on the West Coast. With fans sitting just inches from the court, opposing teams face a difficult task every time they travel to Stanford, CA. 960 1280 Maples Pavilion - Stanford University Known for the Sixth Man, the raucous student section of Cardinal fans, Maples Pavilion has become one of the most notorious venues on the West Coast. With fans sitting just inches from the court, opposing teams face a difficult task every time they travel to Stanford, CA. Standford Athletics Pauley Pavilion Pauley Pavilion - University of California Los Angeles When it comes to Los Angeles basketball, most people think of the Lakers. But rivaling the recent success in their home stadium, the Staples Center, is Pauley Pavilion, the home of the UCLA Bruins. LA is known for its flash, and in classic LA fashion, Pauley Pavilion has seen its share of superstars.

With the "Wizard of Westwood" John Wooden coaching such legends as Lew Alcinder (aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Walton, and owning the most national championships in men's college basketball history, it's clear why the Pavilion made our sweet 16. 960 1280 Pauley Pavilion - University of California Los Angeles When it comes to Los Angeles basketball, most people think of the Lakers. But rivaling the recent success in their home stadium, the Staples Center, is Pauley Pavilion, the home of the UCLA Bruins. LA is known for its flash, and in classic LA fashion, Pauley Pavilion has seen its share of superstars. With the "Wizard of Westwood" John Wooden coaching such legends as Lew Alcinder (aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Walton, and owning the most national championships in men's college basketball history, it's clear why the Pavilion made our sweet 16. Getty Images Cameron Indoor Stadium Cameron Indoor Stadium - Duke University One of the most historic basketball venues in the country also happens to be one of the smallest.

Home of the Duke Blue Devils, and only seating 9,314, Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC, is known as one of the most electric stadiums in all of basketball. There have been many legendary coaches in college basketball but perhaps none more than the court's namesake, Mike Krzyzewski, or as he's known by most fans, simply "Coach K." 960 1280 Cameron Indoor Stadium - Duke University One of the most historic basketball venues in the country also happens to be one of the smallest. Home of the Duke Blue Devils, and only seating 9,314, Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC, is known as one of the most electric stadiums in all of basketball. There have been many legendary coaches in college basketball but perhaps none more than the court's namesake, Mike Krzyzewski, or as he's known by most fans, simply "Coach K." Getty Images Smith Spectrum Smith Spectrum - Utah State University If you're trying to concentrate, the Smith Spectrum, home of the Utah State Aggies, is the last place you want to be.

Over the past decade, the spectrum has gained a reputation as one of the toughest venues for opposing teams due to its disturbingly loud student section . Located in Logan, UT, the Smith Spectrum has a seating capacity of 10,270. 960 1280 Smith Spectrum - Utah State University If you're trying to concentrate, the Smith Spectrum, home of the Utah State Aggies, is the last place you want to be. Over the past decade, the spectrum has gained a reputation as one of the toughest venues for opposing teams due to its disturbingly loud student section . Located in Logan, UT, the Smith Spectrum has a seating capacity of 10,270. USU Public Relations & Marketing The Palestra The Palestra - University of Pennsylvania When you think of top college basketball venues, you think of the big programs that have been dominant for decades. But the "Cathedral of College Basketball" belongs to the Quakers of the University of Pennsylvania. Located in Philadelphia, the Palestra opened in 1927 and has a capacity of 8,722.

960 1280 The Palestra - University of Pennsylvania When you think of top college basketball venues, you think of the big programs that have been dominant for decades. But the "Cathedral of College Basketball" belongs to the Quakers of the University of Pennsylvania. Located in Philadelphia, the Palestra opened in 1927 and has a capacity of 8,722. Penn Athletics The Dean Dome The Dean Dome - University of North Carolina Just down "Tobacco Road" from Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) rival Duke University, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels play their home games in Chapel Hill, NC, at the Smith Center, better known as the Dean Dome. With jerseys once worn by the likes of Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Bob McAdoo hanging from the rafters, there's no doubt that the Dean Dome is one of the most historic venues in all of college basketball.

960 1280 The Dean Dome - University of North Carolina Just down "Tobacco Road" from Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) rival Duke University, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels play their home games in Chapel Hill, NC, at the Smith Center, better known as the Dean Dome. With jerseys once worn by the likes of Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Bob McAdoo hanging from the rafters, there's no doubt that the Dean Dome is one of the most historic venues in all of college basketball. Getty Images Hinkle Fieldhouse - Butler University Home to the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team, Hinkle Fieldhouse, which was built in 1928 and renamed in 1966 after Paul D. Hinkle, is one of the oldest college basketball stadiums still in use. The fieldhouse is also a US national historic landmark. 960 1280 Hinkle Fieldhouse - Butler University Home to the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team, Hinkle Fieldhouse, which was built in 1928 and renamed in 1966 after Paul D. Hinkle, is one of the oldest college basketball stadiums still in use.

The fieldhouse is also a US national historic landmark. Lance King, Getty Images Assembly Hall Assembly Hall - Indiana University The Hoosiers may have been up and down on the court for the past decade, but that can’t erase their incredible history in Assembly Hall. Over an 11-year span from 1976 to 1987, legendary coach Bob Knight led the Hoosiers to 3 national championships, including a perfect season in '76. And who can forget the moment Bob lost his temper and hurled a chair across the court against Purdue in '85? Moments like these, good and bad, have created a special environment for Hoosier fans in Bloomington, IN. 960 1280 Assembly Hall - Indiana University The Hoosiers may have been up and down on the court for the past decade, but that can’t erase their incredible history in Assembly Hall. Over an 11-year span from 1976 to 1987, legendary coach Bob Knight led the Hoosiers to 3 national championships, including a perfect season in '76.

And who can forget the moment Bob lost his temper and hurled a chair across the court against Purdue in '85? Moments like these, good and bad, have created a special environment for Hoosier fans in Bloomington, IN. IU Athletics Bobak Ha'Eri - Wikimedia Commons 960 1280 Bobak Ha'Eri - Wikimedia Commons Bobak Ha'Eri - Wikimedia Commons University of Southern California Jointly owned by the state of California and the city of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is home to the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans. Built in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1923, it has a seating capacity of 93,607. 960 1280 University of Southern California Jointly owned by the state of California and the city of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is home to the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans. Built in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1923, it has a seating capacity of 93,607. USC NFL Hot Read -- Which teams have biggest home-field advantage?

comment T he topic is home-field advantage, but on second thought, maybe Matt Birk isn't the best guy for this job. This past December, the Baltimore Ravens center and his wife Adrianna welcomed their sixth child, Brady, into the world. "Home-field advantage?" Birk said recently, laughing. "Not anymore." The raw numbers over the past decade suggest the Ravens are the happiest at home among the NFL's 32 teams. So why doesn't M&T Bank Stadium turn up on those ubiquitous lists of the league's toughest venues? "That's a question for your colleagues in the media," said Birk, who graduated from Harvard with a degree in economics. "No. 1, I'm going to say that over the years the Ravens have fielded a pretty good football team. No. 2, the fans here are great. "It's pretty simple. There's your home-field advantage." Ah, home sweet home ... where the heart is ... a state of mind. That metaphorical place to which you can never, ever, truly return. In the hurly-burly world of the NFL, however, it is a concrete concept -- as starkly real as a Jason Pierre-Paul sack.

Over the past decade, only one team -- the New York Giants -- has managed to produce a better winning percentage on the road than at home. The Saints (45-37 on the road and 46-37 at home over that time) have come tantalizingly close. The fact that those two teams have won three of the past five Super Bowls underlines the importance of succeeding in the face of that home-field advantage. In the last two games played in Week 3, the home teams prevailed in wildly controversial finishes, but bottom line, the Seahawks and Ravens found ways to beat the Packers and Patriots. Oh, and how about those Vikings over the 49ers in the raucous atmosphere of the building now known as Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome? Playing at home in Week 5, the scrappy Kansas City Chiefs managed to stay within a field goal of the Ravens. Why do teams fare better at home? It's a comfortable, familiar environment; for road teams, of course, it's just the opposite. The local weather patterns and quirks of the stadium are a known quantity. The fans are ferocious.

No matter how long the journey, road teams have to expend time and energy to get there. "Emotion manifests itself in football as much or more than any other sport," said Scott Pioli, the Chiefs' general manager, from his office at Arrowhead Stadium. "The energy from the surroundings is incredible. This game is such a human sport, so emotional, that an arena can actually help generate that energy." Denver cornerback Champ Bailey is in his 14th NFL season. Recently, he checked in by cellphone after lifting weights, listing Philadelphia, Oakland and Atlanta as his three least-favorite places to play. "Philly is unbelievable," Bailey said. "Their fan base is as raw as they come. Oakland, the team hasn't been great but the fans talk a lot of trash. Atlanta, it can get really loud in that dome." None of those venues made ESPN.com's short list of toughest places to play. "Really?" Bailey asked. And then, as each of those daunting stadiums was mentioned, Bailey would groan as suppressed memories came flooding back. "Man, those are tough places to play," he said.

"I guess I just tried to put those out of my mind." Every fan likes to think his team is toughest at home, but how do you quantify that? Last spring, ESPN.com's intrepid NFL bloggers offered a top-10 power ranking that placed Green Bay's Lambeau Field first, followed by Pittsburgh's Heinz Field and Seattle's CenturyLink Field. Denver's Sports Authority Field at Mile High and Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium did not make their cut. Needless to say, this isn't an exact science. The simplest method is to look at home-field victories. Since 1990, the Packers and Steelers have won more home games (129) than anyone. But, it's worth noting, they have also been among the league's best teams over that time. How do you get past that? One way is to examine a team's home winning percentage versus that on the road. The Patriots, for example, have the league's best winning percentage at home over the past decade, .829 (68-14). But they are also a tidy .699 (58-25) on the road.

That means Gillette Stadium provides New England with a differential of only plus-.130, a number that puts the Patriots in the lower half of the league. The Ravens, on the other hand, have a home winning percentage of .771 since 2002, compared to .415 on the road. The difference (.356) is the league's greatest. The Arizona Cardinals , believe it or not, have the second-best differential. But 10 years is a relatively small sample. Going back 20 years, the Packers have the greatest home-road differential (excluding the Ravens, who are in their 17th season in Baltimore). Take it back to 30 years and it's the Chiefs at Arrowhead. ESPN.com queried more than two dozen folks in and around the NFL -- players, owners, general managers past and present, scouts, analysts and writers -- in an attempt to identify the league's toughest venues. The lesson learned: It's a highly emotional and, therefore, subjective business. Ask Bill Polian, the former general manager of the Colts, Panthers and Bills, the most difficult place his teams had to play. "New Orleans, by far," said Polian, now an ESPN analyst.

"That place was always incredibly loud." This was a popular opinion, but over the past three decades the Saints have the league's lowest home-road differential playing in what is now named the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Tedy Bruschi played linebacker for the Patriots for 13 seasons and, like Polian, is now an ESPN analyst. After all the numbers have been crunched, after the local atmospherics have been accounted for, Bruschi agrees with Birk that team strength and fans are the two leading factors. And each pushes the other to a higher, better place. "The fans know they have a good team," Bruschi said. "When you get that combination, that's what makes it hard when you're on the road. They're more motivated to be really loud." Buildings, however crafted to support their teams (or vice versa), are only mortar and metal. Ultimately, it's about the people. The toughest venues all feature extremely invested fans, which, we remind you, is short for fanatics. The communities that back their teams the best have an almost psychological dependency on them; maybe that's why Los Angeles -- which has struggled to support the NFL over the years -- doesn't have a team.

The Chiefs, for example, draw fans from six states. The Packers are the only game in Green Bay, Wis. The Ravens, meantime, are making separation anxiety work for them. When Birk arrived in Baltimore in 2009 after 11 seasons in Minnesota, the first thing that struck him was the passion of the fans. Baltimore lost the Colts to Indianapolis after the 1983 season and went a dozen years before the original Cleveland Browns franchise relocated to Baltimore. Since the Ravens arrived, they have 91 home wins; only two teams, the Patriots and Packers, have more. "This city lost its football team," Birk said. "The Ravens filled the void for them, and the fans are really into it here. That makes for a loud stadium on Sundays." And that makes for a significant home-field advantage. Here, listed in order, are the Sweet Six-Pack -- or, if you are a visiting team, the Dirty Half-Dozen. All things considered, these are our choices as the league's toughest places to play. It's probably just a coincidence that none of them have roofs.

Away from Arrowhead: Chiefs had reasons for surrendering home game to London | The Kansas City Star October 31, 2015 7:39 PM Away from Arrowhead: Chiefs had reasons for surrendering home game to London Loss of game will impact local businesses, but Chiefs have held more events at Arrowhead Chairman Clark Hunt is on the NFL’s International Committee, which guides overseas games The NFL reimburses teams for revenue lost by surrendering games to help grow the league Arrowhead Stadium will be empty today with the Chiefs playing host to the Lions in London. Allison Long along@kcstar.com i By TEREZ A. PAYLOR and MARK DAVIS The Kansas City Star Order Reprint of this Story LONDON Sunday marks a home game for the Chiefs, and fans of the team will congregate in a public place, ready to party. But instead of packing Arrowhead Stadium by the carload as the sweet smell of barbecue wafts through the air, a portion of them will assemble indoors at a much smaller venue — a team watch party at Johnny’s Tavern in the Power & Light District — to see the Chiefs play the Detroit Lions on TV in a “home” game at London’s historic Wembley Stadium.

A number of fans have embraced the move, some even traveling to London for the game. But others have voiced their displeasure about losing one of eight regular-season home games at publicly funded Arrowhead Stadium. Chiefs home games have value both financial and sentimental. The Chiefs say the decision to play this game overseas, and not in Kansas City, did not come easily. “I understand why our fans are frustrated,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said last fall, when the announcement was made. “Frankly, I don’t expect them to be happy about it … they’re so passionate, and they want to spend their Sunday afternoons cheering the team on.” “It’s hard (to do),” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said last week. “You’re giving up a home game, and rightly so, a lot of our fans feel like they own that game — that’s their game, and you shouldn’t be able to give that up — and I get that.” In London, the Chiefs on Friday held a “pub party” in Trafalgar Square. The team bought beers there for about 400 Chiefs fans.

Saturday’s “NFL Fan Forum,” where Chiefs fans from America and England had a chance to interact with Hunt, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and former Chiefs greats Will Shields and Christian Okoye, was also well attended. When the announcement of the London game was made last November, one justification was that the game should also satisfy a key Super Bowl bid requirement. But being host to a Super Bowl at Arrowhead is far from a slam-dunk: Hunt has maintained that first, the league must decide to bring the game to another cold-weather city, as it did in New York/New Jersey in 2014. Also, Kansas City needs to add more hotel rooms to improve its candidacy. Another reason to play abroad: International exposure is good for the league. Hunt chairs the league’s international committee, which plays a key role in expanding the NFL’s footprint overseas. And the Chiefs themselves stand to recoup any lost revenue at Arrowhead from the league. Such reasoning has done little to soothe frustration on the home front. A poll on the Arrowhead Pride website shortly after the announcement was made found that 83 percent of fans disapproved of the decision. Just 17 percent were in favor of it.

“I don’t care if the NFL grows their brand,” said Steven Wood of Camdenton, Mo., who has been a season-ticket holder since 2005. “I’m not responsible for seeing Roger Goodell make another $24 million. “Right now I’m paying for 10 games, and two of them are preseason games that are basically worthless.” Events at the Truman Sports Complex certainly generate economic activity. Fans ponied up nearly $1 million just for parking at Chiefs games last year, according to the annual report of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority. And the team paid more than $1.6 million in rent. Visiting fans spend money at the stadium, restaurants and area hotels, all of which adds to the local economy and local tax tills. The authority did an analysis last year showing that the Chiefs and Royals combined for $34 million in state, county and city taxes. That total includes sales taxes, earnings taxes, withholding on wages, property taxes and other fees. How much one game is worth remains a mystery, said Jim Rowland, the president of the authority who did the analysis. He doesn’t get separate numbers for Chiefs and Royals games.

County and city officials and others who look at such things declined to put a number on what one Chiefs game played at Arrowhead is worth. One economist offered a guess of perhaps a few million dollars. Jesse David, a partner at Edgeworth Economics in Washington, hasn’t studied Kansas City’s football economics, but he has looked closely at the financial impact of NFL games in a dozen other markets. He also did the work for a 2010 report to the NFL Players Association, when there was threat of a lockout and both sides were trying to determine the potential damage. The average NFL game, David found, generated $22 million in economic activity. Games had the biggest impact in Houston, $40 million, and the least in Indianapolis, $12 million. Kansas City was not part of his review. Moving one Chiefs game to London won’t sacrifice nearly that much to the economy, David said. Players and team personnel still will be paid, he noted, because there still is a game. And that’s roughly half the impact of games. “A vendor or a security guard might lose out if a game is skipped,” David said. And area businesses would miss the influx of visitors.

Combined, however, David said that amounts to a relatively small part of the total impact. “I’d be surprised if it’s a quarter” of the $22 million average, he said. Financially, the Chiefs will not lose money by skipping a football Sunday. An NFL spokesman confirmed that the league reimburses teams the amount of money they miss out on by losing a home game, though he declined to go into detail about the procedure, citing the league’s policy against discussing individual clubs’ revenues. “That’s part of the deal,” Donovan said, referring to the league’s ability to make every host team whole. “That’s the way they make it make business sense for everyone.” Sunday’s silence at the sports complex won’t hurt the stadium authority, either. Rowland said funding comes through the three-eighth-cent sales tax voters approved in 2006. “We don’t get any revenue from game days, whether it be parking, tickets, anything like that. There’s no economic impact for the Sports Complex Authority,” he said. “It’s zero. Period.” But Donovan understands what surrendering a game at Arrowhead meant for local businesses. “Yeah, that’s a real impact, and it is something that we considered through the whole process,” Donovan said.

So why do it? Why play in England? Donovan offered two reasons, the first being that it’s good for the league. In recent years, the NFL has made establishing a strong global footprint a major priority. The league has been staging games annually in London since 2007, and the 32 owners recently approved playing more international games through 2025. Mark Waller, the league’s executive vice president of international competition, said recently that playing games in Mexico City is also a priority. “(Mexico is) our biggest fan base outside the United States, and it’s our most vibrant market,” Waller said. “Our business is really good there; ratings in Mexico City are good, and you’ve got locked-in synergy with the U.S. Hispanic growth and population here.” Donovan said the league’s booming popularity in America makes it logical for owners to explore how much they can make the game more popular internationally by exposing the NFL to new fan bases. “No matter how you measure it, (football) is an immense sport,” Donovan said.

“But if you look at Premier League soccer, and you look at the World Cup of soccer and just how big that is, you look at cricket, you look at some of these other worldwide sports … (their games) are more international because we’re so domestic-focused. You’ve got to grow that in order to continue to compete — that’s why this is so important to the league.” Donovan added that the Chiefs understand how much football means to Kansas City, but it’s important for them to do their part in the grander scheme of things ... even at the expense of a home game at Arrowhead. In the eyes of Chiefs officials, what benefits the league also benefits their team. “From a season-ticket base to a ratings base, from every way you look at it, a market this small shouldn’t do as well as we do in an organization,” Donovan said. “But we’ve got to continue to give back to retain that place, and that’s what’s going to continue to grow the entire brand, the entire NFL, and that’s going to benefit us as a franchise.” The second reason the Chiefs believed they could surrender a home game is that they were optimistic they could do some things to make up for it.

When asked what they could do to aid local businesses, Donovan said the increased number of big-ticket events at Arrowhead Stadium this year helps make up for the loss of football for one Sunday. “What we like to talk about around that question is Mexico versus Uruguay (international) soccer, the Rolling Stones, One Direction, Kenny Chesney, Missouri-BYU, American Royal,” Donovan said. “Those are events (where) those same (business) people are impacted by that. “It’s still that Sunday you’re going to miss,” Donovan acknowledged. “But there have been a lot of Sundays that have happened (this year) because we put something in that building. There have been more than enough events that have more than made up for that.” Hosting more entertainment events again speaks to the Chiefs’ desire to grow their own business. “Those (are) events, across the board, the Kansas City Chiefs took financial risk on,” Donovan said. “So nobody else came in and said, ‘OK, I’ll put this on to make it make sense for these guys who are selling parking or restaurants or hotels.’ We did that.

“And we didn’t do it because we were going to lose a game, we did it because it’s part of our business — it’s what Arrowhead Events is and why we started the business. But it is a good year, in terms of timing.” There’s a football side of this equation, too, of course, and there’s no question that in hindsight, with the season going the way it has, the 2-5 Chiefs and their fans might have been better off playing this game at Arrowhead. On the field, Chiefs are in a daunting early hole — only four teams in NFL history have come back from a 2-5 start to make the playoffs. A true home game against a 1-6 opponent like Detroit would surely be a better alternative than what will amount to a neutral-site game. Donovan knows the Chiefs need to continue winning — he likes to say the success of the Chiefs’ business and football operations are reliant on one another — but he’s also aware that hindsight is 20-20. “I don’t think it’s a good practice to get into the what-ifs,” Donovan said.

“When it first came out, (and) you’re giving up this game, (you know) it may have a huge impact on your season. Well, yeah. But who would have predicted the Detroit Lions were 1-6 going into this game? Who would have predicted we were 2-5? “We did look at — and I’ve said this publicly — we did look at division games and big matchups ... and we had good discussions with the league about (how) those aren’t games we’d want to give up if we’re going to have to give one up.” That essentially scratched off all three AFC West games, plus showdowns against Chicago and Pittsburgh — teams whose fans travel in droves — leaving this game and the Chiefs’ matchups against Buffalo and Cleveland as possible London candidates. Given those three options, Detroit is probably the preferable outcome: The Cleveland and Buffalo games theoretically could have tie-breaker implications. “This is an NFC opponent that doesn’t really get to Kansas City that often, so we felt like if you’re going to take one, this would be one of the ones on that list,” Donovan said. With all that said, Chiefs officials hope their fans have come to understand the situation.

“A lot of people (are) questioning, criticizing, (asking), ‘Why would you ever give up a home game at Arrowhead?’ ” Donovan said. “And the reality is because we’re going to play more games, more teams are going to give up home games in the future, and we feel like it was the right thing to do now. “It was the right thing to sort of get our place in line and get that box checked.” If the Chiefs are to play another international game in the future, and they almost certainly will, there’ll probably be one important difference. “I feel very confident that will be an away game, and not a home game, because we don’t want to give up a home game, either,” Donovan said. “You’ve got homefield advantage, which is real. You’ve got our season-ticket members, and losing that game is real, and we appreciate that. “But this is going to happen across the league, and it’s just a matter of time for other teams.” Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City Chiefs football stadium - Stadiums of Pro Football ARROWHEAD STADIUM Kansas City, MO Today, after four decades of existence, Arrowhead Stadium remains one of the finest stadiums in the NFL.

The history of the club begins in Dallas when they were known as the Texans. Owner Lamar Hunt moved the team to Kansas City in 1963, renaming them the Chiefs. For nearly a decade, the Chiefs shared an aging Municipal Stadium with the Athletics and Royals (MLB). By the mid 1960s the City of Kansas City began exploring sites to build a new stadium, but failed, leading to the establishment of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority to acquire land, design, construct and obtain funding for a new stadium. Original plans were for a multipurpose stadium, but were scrapped because of design and seating capacity issues. Unlike many other cities that built multipurpose stadiums, the county decided to build two new stadiums, one for baseball and one for football. In June 1967, a $102 million bond was issued for construction of two sports stadiums. Construction on the Truman Sports Complex began on July 11, 1968. A rolling roof was part of the original design for both stadiums, but did not materialize because of cost overruns and project delays it would cause.

After over four years of construction, the stadium was completed in time for the start of the 1972 season and named Arrowhead Stadium. The Kansas City Chiefs played their first game at Arrowhead Stadium on August 12, 1972 against the St. Louis Cardinals. The stadium was a marvel for its time because of its great sightlines and it was not multipurpose, like many other stadiums built during the 1970s. Over 79,000 red and gold seats in three tiers enclosed the entire Astroturf playing surface. MEMORABLE MOMENTS Defensive Rookie of the Year: Bill Mass (1984), Derrick Thomas (1989), Dale Carter (1992) Offensive Player of the Year Priest Holmes in 2002. Fourteen Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrines. Since its opening in 1972, Arrowhead Stadium has underwent numerous changes. In 1984, officials discussed adding a dome to Arrowhead Stadium, but the idea was dropped due to high construction costs.

A JumboTron videoboard was added above the upper deck rim in the south endzone in 1991 and the Astroturf playing field was replaced with grass in 1994. In 1999 and 2000, all 79,000 seats were replaced with new seats. In August 2007, the Chiefs unveiled a massive renovation plan, keeping Arrowhead Stadium up to par with the newest stadiums in the NFL. Completed by the 2010 season, renovations and additions included a refurbished club level, restaurants and concession areas, an expanded team store, and a Founders Plaza on the stadium’s north side honoring the former owner, Lamar Hunt. This project also included the construction of the Horizons Level atop the upper deck on the south side of the stadium that includes a new pressbox, luxury suites and premium seats. No major changes were made to the seating bowl. However, the overall capacity decreased to 76,416. Located on the lower-level concourse, the 28,000 square-foot Chiefs Hall of Honor, highlights great teams and players, and exhibits artifacts from the Chiefs’ history.

New HD video/scoreboards replaced the existing scoreboards located above the stands in both endzones. Arrowhead Stadium is known as one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL and the Chiefs are known as having one of the best tailgating experiences in the NFL, much like what is found at college football games.

Question: Which NFL American Football team play their home games at Arrowhead Stadium?
Answer: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS